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NC-2009 MRc2:Construction Waste Management

Hazardous Waste being recycled

Hello, It is clear that hazardous waste is to be excluded from MR2 calculations "and should be disposed of according to relevant regulations" (LEED NC v3 Reference Guide, p.359). This makes perfect sense, since it would be unfair to have to always include hazardous waste as "sent to landfill", since in most cases there is legally no other option. However, in São Paulo (Brazil) there is a company that does use modern technology in order to recycle contaminated / hazardous waste, such as PPE's and oil-stained rags, for example, with authorization and operating licenses issued by the environmental supervising agency of the State of São Paulo. The waste processing technique employed "transforms the material resulting from the waste treatment process into raw material, which can be reused, for example, in the principal operations of steel mills", according to the company's website (http://www.gruporenova.com.br/en/waste_recycling.asp). In this case, in which the hazardous waste is being recycled, MAY this quantity be included in diverted waste calculations for MR2? (P.S. Since the waste sent to this company includes some comingled hazardous and non-hazardous waste material, it would be difficult to separate the quantification of each type.) Thanks again for any insight.

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Tue, 11/22/2011 - 05:16

Paola, I would say that if you can divert this waste from the landfill in an environmentally safe manner, more power to you and you should include this in the diverted waste calculations. I would note this in the narrative and fully explain the approach, and in case it's questioned by a reviewer, hopefully you're not relying on that waste portion for a key point.

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